Heart-break at Goodison Park

My team, Everton, got off to flying start this year, and were near the top of table throughout the opening weeks of the English Premier League season. But things have not gone well lately, and we now find ourselves in more normal mid-table surroundings. Injuries to four starting midfielders, including a lengthy one to world-class Tim Cahill, haven’t helped.
But all of this was about to be forgotten today. With only ten minutes remaining Everton was up 2-1 to mighty Chelsea, the super-club assembled by a Russian billionaire. In the 81st minute, however, Frank Lampard beat Everton’s American goal-keeper with a 20 yard strike. Then, only six minutes later, Didier Drogba (my pick for EPL player-of-the-year so far) scored a wonder goal from 40 years out.
To make things worse, Chelsea’s come-from-behind victory, coupled with Manchester United’s defeat at West Ham, means that the “Chelski” mercenaries are now within two points of Man U, a somewhat more home-grown, British-oriented club that features former Evertonian Wayne Rooney.
Everton now sits tenth in the League — presumably in no danger of regulation, but with the prospects for a truly successful season fading fast.